Using Verizon Sierra MC5720 in my X60 with Sprint

hidden101 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Baghdad

I just bought an X60 with the integrated Verizon card but I absolutely CANNOT agree with Verizon's ToS after reading about users having their service terminated on this forum.

I have had Sprint service for years and was very happy with it. I learned how to use my phone as a CDMA modem early on and was getting 15Kbps/sec downloads when it was hooked up to my laptop. It was great.

Right now I'm in Baghdad and would like to use Sprint service when I get back to the states. I don't have a lot of time and resources to research this stuff in Iraq and I've been here for a year, so I'm behind on technology news. Someone I work with told me that I can have the integrated Sierra MC5720 card in my X60 unlocked so I can use it with Sprint instead of Verizon.

My question is, is he correct and if so, does anyone know what I need to do to unlock it? Also, I'll be moving to downtown Chicago. If there is any information anyone can give me about service there (Sprint or Verizon), I would appreciate it.

Michael · Posted: Fri Mar 31, 2006 9:41 am Post subject:

The carriers pay BIG BUCKS to be selected by laptop manufactures to integrate EVDO. They modify the firmware to make it next to impossible to make other carriers use it/ activate it. Think about it, Verizon spends tons of money to embed and then someone buys it and activates it on the Sprint network.

This is the problem with embedded EVDO - it removes the consumers choice.

Regarding the TOS, it is in place for the abusers, There have been maybe 3 people who have been disconnected, out of how many thousands or hundred of thousands of customer?
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hidden101 · EVDO Newbie Joined: 31 Mar 2006 Posts: 3 Location: Baghdad

Michael,

A guy I work with told me several of his friends did this. He said they just called up Sprint and asked them to unlock it.

I don't know if I believe it, but I'm willing to dig as deep as I can to find out if it's possible because I don't want to use Verizon. I even called up Sierra and they couldn't give me an answer.

The reason I'm worried is because I travel A LOT and I need to be connected 24/7 and do several gigs of traffic a month and I need this to be my primary connection. I'm a defense contractor with offices in DC and Boston, a lab at Princeton, and testing sites at several military bases, while living in Chicago. From what I can tell, Verizon is not going to like that.

Also, being a Sprint user for years, I'm happy with Sprint. Plus, I won't be locked into a two year agreement like I would be with Verizon. I prefer to use services that don't lock you in with contracts. Sprint is the only service I ever signed up for that had a lock-in contract and I only did that because I was a dumb kid back then.

I really wish I would have done more research before I chose the model with the integrated card. If I find out I really can't use this card with Sprint, I'll have a useless integrated card and be using a PCMCIA card that juts out of the side of my laptop, which I HATE. Not cool....

shfawaz · EVDO Fledgling Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 11